Before the end of 2025’s Black History Month, Blue Jays Nation would like to celebrate some of the most influential people – players, staff, and executives – who had a tremendous impact on Toronto Blue Jays baseball.
This is part two of a three part series:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/celebrating-blue-jays-during-black-history-month-part-one-the-level-of-excellence">Part one</a> celebrated Cito Gaston and Joe Carter, the two black individuals to be inducted to the Jays Level of Excellence.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">This part two will feature Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, Russell Martin, and Fergie Jenkins &#8211; four African Americans inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The third and final part will feature initiatives surrounding the Jays.</li>
</ul>
Feel free to share your favourite memories of the outstanding people mentioned in the article or of players not mentioned in the comments at the end of the article.
<h2>Jesse Barfield</h2>
Locking down one of the Jays outfield spots from 1981 to the start of 1989, Jesse Barfield was renowned for his defensive prowess.
His cannon of an arm led him to lead MLB in outfield assists on four separate occasions, and he collected two Gold Glove Awards. The 22 assists he collected in 1985 remain a franchise record to this day. That year was also one of the most memorable in Jays history, as the outfield of Barfield, Moseby, and George Bell led the team to their first AL East title. They made it as far as the AL Championship before being eliminated in seven games by the KC Royals.
Barfield provided far more than just defence too. His best season at the plate came in 1986 when he was awarded his only Silver Slugger Award and All-Star selection for his .289/.368/.559 slashline and 40 home runs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Our sincere congratulations to Jesse Barfield, Jacques Doucet, Rich Harden, John Olerud, Joe Wiwchar and longtime National Team Pitching Coach Denis Boucher on their inductions into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame today in St. Marys! 👏👏
🇨🇦⚾️ <a href="https://t.co/Kn0QgZ0QZL">pic.twitter.com/Kn0QgZ0QZL</a>
&mdash; Baseball Canada 🇨🇦⚾️ (@baseballcanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/baseballcanada/status/1670046444311412738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Barfield for his accolades in 2023 and his achievements over his 1032 games with the Jays are now enshrined at the museum in St. Mary’s.
<h2>Lloyd Moseby</h2>
As another third of the all-time great outfield trio mentioned earlier, Lloyd Moseby solidified himself as one of the best speed and power mixes in Jays history.
With a sweet left-handed swing, Moseby broke out in 1983 when he hit .315 over 151 games that season. His 6.0 WAR earned him the first – and only – Silver Slugger award of his career.
He never slowed down at the plate or on the basepaths though. From 1984 to 1987 he hit more than 15 home runs and stole more than 30 bases each season, earning an all-star nod along the way in 1986. To this day, Moseby remains first on the franchise leaderboard for steals with 255 and ranks second in triples with 60 (behind only Tony Fernandez with 72).
Moseby followed up his playing career as a coach with both the short season single-A St. Catherines Stompers and triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and then a short stint as the Jays first base coach.
He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
<h2>Russell Martin</h2>
Born and raised in Canada, Russell Martin was a key piece of the 2015 and 2016 Blue Jays teams that made the franchise’s first playoff appearances since winning the World Series back in the early 1990s. The catcher hit more than 20 home runs in both of those seasons, while providing solid defence from behind the plate.
Widely considered to be one of the best Canadians to play the game, Martin has won numerous awards including four all-star appearances, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger. He’s also left his mark on the Canadian stat leaderboards, most notably being first in dWAR with a career 16.5.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
“His playing days may be over, but his influence on the game will not be forgotten.”
The <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> honour former catcher, Russell Martin, with a tribute video narrated by former Blue Jay, Jose Bautista. 🥹 <a href="https://t.co/AKJgz23pLN">pic.twitter.com/AKJgz23pLN</a>
&mdash; Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1542948553529692162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Aside from his time in the majors, Martin has also been a key piece for Canada on the international stage. He first played for the Junior National team in 2000, then for Canada at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He also coached the WBC team during the 2017 and 2023 tournaments.
For all of his achievements, Martin was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
<h2>Fergie Jenkins</h2>
While not a former Toronto Blue Jay like the other three players on this list, Fergie Jenkins may be the greatest Canadian to ever play Major League Baseball.
The Chatham, Ontario native was a dominant right-handed starter throughout the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Playing primarily for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, he amassed an incredible 3192 career strikeouts with a 3.34 ERA. His numerous awards include a Cy Young Award and three all-star selections.
Jenkins’ rubber arm allowed him to rack up those numbers throughout his 21-year-long career. He led the league in complete games four separate times, with his Cy Young winning season seeing him throw 30 of them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
DYK: Fergie Jenkins was the first Canadian All-Star selection (1967) and the first Canadian elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (1991). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackHistoryMonth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackHistoryMonth</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z8wEqZ23Gv">pic.twitter.com/Z8wEqZ23Gv</a>
&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1892248733368152550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and then also became the first Canadian inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1991. He’s since been joined by only one other Canadian – Larry Walker. Jenkins ranks first among <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/Canada_born.shtml#all_bio_pitching">Canadian-born Major League players</a> in games started (594), innings pitched (4500 2/3), and bWAR (84.18).
<hr />
&nbsp;

Before the end of 2025’s Black History Month, Blue Jays Nation would like to celebrate some of the most influential people – players, staff, and executives – who had a tremendous impact on Toronto Blue Jays baseball.

This is part two of a three part series:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/celebrating-blue-jays-during-black-history-month-part-one-the-level-of-excellence">Part one</a> celebrated Cito Gaston and Joe Carter, the two black individuals to be inducted to the Jays Level of Excellence.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">This part two will feature Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, Russell Martin, and Fergie Jenkins - four African Americans inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The third and final part will feature initiatives surrounding the Jays.</li>
</ul>
Feel free to share your favourite memories of the outstanding people mentioned in the article or of players not mentioned in the comments at the end of the article.
<h2>Jesse Barfield</h2>
Locking down one of the Jays outfield spots from 1981 to the start of 1989, Jesse Barfield was renowned for his defensive prowess.

His cannon of an arm led him to lead MLB in outfield assists on four separate occasions, and he collected two Gold Glove Awards. The 22 assists he collected in 1985 remain a franchise record to this day. That year was also one of the most memorable in Jays history, as the outfield of Barfield, Moseby, and George Bell led the team to their first AL East title. They made it as far as the AL Championship before being eliminated in seven games by the KC Royals.

Barfield provided far more than just defence too. His best season at the plate came in 1986 when he was awarded his only Silver Slugger Award and All-Star selection for his .289/.368/.559 slashline and 40 home runs.

https://twitter.com/baseballcanada/status/1670046444311412738

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Barfield for his accolades in 2023 and his achievements over his 1032 games with the Jays are now enshrined at the museum in St. Mary’s.
<h2>Lloyd Moseby</h2>
As another third of the all-time great outfield trio mentioned earlier, Lloyd Moseby solidified himself as one of the best speed and power mixes in Jays history.

With a sweet left-handed swing, Moseby broke out in 1983 when he hit .315 over 151 games that season. His 6.0 WAR earned him the first – and only – Silver Slugger award of his career.

He never slowed down at the plate or on the basepaths though. From 1984 to 1987 he hit more than 15 home runs and stole more than 30 bases each season, earning an all-star nod along the way in 1986. To this day, Moseby remains first on the franchise leaderboard for steals with 255 and ranks second in triples with 60 (behind only Tony Fernandez with 72).

Moseby followed up his playing career as a coach with both the short season single-A St. Catherines Stompers and triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and then a short stint as the Jays first base coach.

He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
<h2>Russell Martin</h2>
Born and raised in Canada, Russell Martin was a key piece of the 2015 and 2016 Blue Jays teams that made the franchise’s first playoff appearances since winning the World Series back in the early 1990s. The catcher hit more than 20 home runs in both of those seasons, while providing solid defence from behind the plate.

Widely considered to be one of the best Canadians to play the game, Martin has won numerous awards including four all-star appearances, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger. He’s also left his mark on the Canadian stat leaderboards, most notably being first in dWAR with a career 16.5.

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1542948553529692162

Aside from his time in the majors, Martin has also been a key piece for Canada on the international stage. He first played for the Junior National team in 2000, then for Canada at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He also coached the WBC team during the 2017 and 2023 tournaments.

For all of his achievements, Martin was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
<h2>Fergie Jenkins</h2>
While not a former Toronto Blue Jay like the other three players on this list, Fergie Jenkins may be the greatest Canadian to ever play Major League Baseball.

The Chatham, Ontario native was a dominant right-handed starter throughout the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Playing primarily for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, he amassed an incredible 3192 career strikeouts with a 3.34 ERA. His numerous awards include a Cy Young Award and three all-star selections.

Jenkins’ rubber arm allowed him to rack up those numbers throughout his 21-year-long career. He led the league in complete games four separate times, with his Cy Young winning season seeing him throw 30 of them.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1892248733368152550

He was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and then also became the first Canadian inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1991. He’s since been joined by only one other Canadian – Larry Walker. Jenkins ranks first among <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/Canada_born.shtml#all_bio_pitching">Canadian-born Major League players</a> in games started (594), innings pitched (4500 2/3), and bWAR (84.18).

<hr />

&nbsp;

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